Airway - Obstruction (Basic)

Airway - Obstruction (Basic)

Clinical Indications:

= ______ 1.      Comp= lete airway obstruction in a conscious patient.

= ______ 2.      Comp= lete airway obstruction in an unconscious patient.

Procedure:

= ______ 1.      Dete= rmine if there is a complete airway obstruction.

= ______ 2.      If p= atient is conscious, perform the Heimlich maneuver until the obstruction is cleare= d or until the patient

beco= mes unconscious.

= a.&n= bsp;      Stand behind the patient.

= b.&n= bsp;      Locate the navel of the patient and place thumb s= ide of fist just above the navel.

= c.&n= bsp;      Place the other hand on top of the fist.

= d.&n= bsp;      With a forceful, but smooth movement, press the f= ist in and upward.

= ______ 3.      Do N= OT use the Heimlich maneuver on pregnant women or infants. Use chest thrusts on pregnant=

wome= n or = obese individuals.

= ______ 4.      If p= atient becomes unconscious (or is unconscious initially), assess the patient’= ;s level of responsiveness.

= ______ 5.      If no response, open the airway using head-tilt/chin-lift if no spinal trauma is indicated or the jaw thrust

mane= uver if = spinal trauma is indicated. For infa= nts, use the sniffing position.

= ______ 6.      Look, listen and feel for air movement.

= ______ 7.      If no respiratory effort present, attempt to give two breaths using appropriate s= ized BVM.

= ______ 8.      If t= his fails, reposition head and attempt to ventilate again.

= ______ 9.      If t= his fails, deliver five abdominal thrusts by straddling patient and placing han= ds in same place as

Heim= lich maneuver.

= ______ 10. Repo= sition head and perform a finger sweep. Do NOT perform a finger sweep on children or infants

unle= ss the object is visualized.

= ______ 11. Repe= at steps 7-10 until obstruction is cleared.

= ______ 12. If p= atient is an infant, utilize five back blows and five chest thrusts in place of the Heimlich maneuver or

abdo= minal thr= usts.

= ______ 13. Cont= inue to reassess patient and monitor need for advanced level airway obstruction procedures.

= ______ 14. If obstruction is cleared, monitor patient’s response.=

= ______ 15. Docu= ment the procedure, time and patient’s response in electronic PCR.

Certification Requirements:

Succ= essfully complete a biannual evaluation including the indications, contraindications, technique, and possible complications of the procedure.